reviews october 2007

The Diamond Family Archive, Fife (Woodland Recordings) CDR
These talented weavers create a magical tapestry of textures on a simple loom using only the most basic yarn. Warm and gently glowing colours and the creative use of space make for the most wondrous results. The opener “Valley Girl” is the sprawling un-hurried hit of a collection that all knit together very well. (Laurence)
www.woodlandrecordings.com

The Manhattan Love Suicides, The Manhattan Love Suicides (Squirrel Records) LP 
In an as yet unmade noir thriller movie set in a near future urban dystopia Keanu Reeves is on the run from mysterious malign forces and seeks sanctuary and some help in Harrison Ford’s seedy basement club. Scribbled messages on matchbooks and napkins are surreptitiously exchanged whilst a suspicious looking Johnny Depp lurks nearby scanning the crowd clustered around the cramped bandstand, four black-clad figures are producing a glorious reverb-ridden racket in the best Mary Chain/Beat Happening/Aisler’s Set tradition. The band are called The Manhattan Love Suicides and this is their debut LP, a most accomplished affair and a soon-to-be dark classic. (Laurence)
www.squirrelrecorsds.co.uk

Pete Green, Everything I Do Is Going To Be Sparkly (Atomic Beat Records) 7”
Bedroom pop. Not two words you hear so often nowadays, sadly. This is bedroom pop, recorded in an attic in Sheffield apparently. Pete welcomes us into his modest gaff and after making sure we’re okay for a cup of tea gets his guitar out and takes us through some witty and bitter-sweet tunes that remind us that when the basics are right you don’t need much else. (Laurence)
www.atomicbeatrecords.co.uk

Pocketbooks, Cross The Line/Every Good Time We Ever Had (Atomic Beat Records) 7”
Indie pop. Two words that you hear a lot these days, sadly. This is true indie pop however, in it’s purest and most wonderful form. Tuneful effervescence and naïve self confidence, clumsy brilliance and the ability to conjure a wistful smile from the most cynical of listeners. (Laurence)
www.atomicbeatrecords.co.uk

The Bobby McGees, …Yes Please! (Cherryade Records) 7”
A much more respected reviewer than me described this lot as “Dostoevsky meets George Formby”, a pithy summation that’s hard to beat. So I’ll just say, buy this record. I say this for your benefit and not mine, buy this record. If you only buy one vinyl record this year, make this the one. Don’t allow minor trifles such as not owning a turntable to be an obstacle, get hold of a copy of this record and then find somewhere you can play it. Left field brilliance touched by the mad hand of genius. (Laurence)
www.cherryademusic.co.uk